Colin Campbell Goes Duck Hunting

Facing the best defensive team in the playoffs, led by 6 foot 5 goalie and Vezna trophy finalist Pekka Rinne, and the best defensemen in the game in Shea Weber is a daunting task. The Ducks have to scrap for every stingy scoring opportunity. But when you factor in the referees horrible penalty calls against Anaheim, the penalties that they let go and do not call against Nashville, conspiracy theorists come out and start chirping. Then, with the ruling of Bobby Ryan’s suspension of 2 games by Colin Campbell, these conspiracy theorists have more than a solid case.

And if you doubt it, the case will be laid out below. Just look at each clip, read the evidence, and you tell me…

Ducks forward Bobby Ryan battles Jonathon Blum against the boards for the puck. Blum has the puck frozen against the board with his skate. After scrapping to try and get it out and unable to get Blum to unfreeze the puck, Ryan steps on his skate with a light kick. There was no penalty on the play, and no injury. The league has decided that Ryan was trying to injure Blum, and gave him a 2 game suspension.

If Bobby Ryan wanted to injure Blum, he would have taken his knee up to his chest and come down hard with his foot. Bobby Ryan has no suspension or dirty play history in the league. Yet his penalty is double the vicious, intentional hits to the head of the plays below.

So far, the suspension against Bobby Ryan is the most severe in the playoffs. What’s more, is that at the time the suspension was levied, the series was tied 1-1, meaning it was a best of 5 series from that point, and Anaheim had to go on the road for these 2 games Ryan was suspended. So the league suspends Anaheim’s second leading goal scorer for 40% of the remaining series, and the games are on the road.

See below each clip, and then we can discuss “Intent to injure”

Chris Kunitz

Elbow to the head of Simon Gagne. 1 game suspension

Steve Downie

Steve Downie leaving his feet and launching himself into the head of a defenseless player. He has a history of dirty play and suspensions. 1 game suspension.

Jarret Stoll

Boarding a defenseless skater (Ian White) behind the net head/neck first into the board. White is unconscious and has to be helped off the ice. 1 game suspension.

Zdeno Chara

Punishes a man (Max Paccioretti) neck first into the stanchion. Chara has a reputation for being dirty. Injury results on the play. Its a major penalty, and Paccioretti gets carried off on a stretcher. No suspension.

Raffi Torres

Shoulder to the head of a defenseless skater (Brent Seabrook) behind the net. Seabrook is clearly shaken up. Torres has a history of being a dirty player, and has already been suspended this year. No suspension.

Doug Murray

Murray takes 6 strides from across the ice to crush a man into the boards who is 60 pounds lighter. Murray has a reputation for being dirty. Lubomir Vishnovski has to be assited to the locker room. No penalty. No suspension.

So what are we left with? Apparently stepping on someone’s foot is far worse than a deliberate head shot at an unsuspecting player. Either Colin Campbell’s head is firmly entrenched in his large intestine, he has a foot fettish, or has a major axe to grind against the Anaheim Ducks. My opinion is that its all 3.